Too Late
by Ravishingly Discreet
Summary: With three years lost from her attendance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Jessica is determined to make the most of her final four years. If she lasts that long.. *Completed*
1. Serenity's Capture

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jesssica, as well as her relatives, and Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

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**So Close**

As the sun rose, glistening down on top of the nearby snow drifts, it marked the anniversary of a most unfortunate day. Serenity had been in captivity for exactly three years. Her capture fed her well, which is why she had managed to live this long, but he didn't know a thing about the correct way in which to care for a Hogwarts' owl. In fact, he had no idea Serenity was a Hogwarts owl. She would have been quite surprised if he even knew what Hogwarts was. 

With her distinguished, and slightly sharp features the owl was noticeably different than most. Her feathers were the color of the bark on the surrounding pine trees, speckled with white just like the newly fallen snow outside. She was a remarkably beautiful owl, and her eyes showed a yearning to return home within the deep swirls of brown. 

The man, a Muggle, or non-magical person, had found her caught between the branches of a fallen tree. On her way to her destination, a storm had blown through that very forest and caught her in it. The Hogwarts letter, informing a young witch of her acceptance into the school, she had meant to deliver was hidden under her left wing, and remained there still. The professors at Hogwarts had failed to notice the missing owl and student, a mistake not often made, but there was obviously a margin of error. 

The man was quite nice and much too lonely. If it hadn't been for the second characteristic he might have let her loose long again so she could deliver the letter. His door hadn't been knocked on once in the three years, except for the post man, occasionally stopping at the door to deliver a larger package. Serenity ruffled her wings and stared longingly out the window beside her. 

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"Mother, I didn't mean to.." 

"I've heard enough from you, Jessica. Throwing your own brother to the top of the roof, and you say you didn't mean to! I'd like to know where you get the strength. These practical jokes have got to end!" The woman's eyes sparked with anger, and one could clearly see the wrinkles etched upon her face. 

"But I didn't do it!" 

"For God's sake child, who did?" 

Jessica opened her mouth as if to say something, but finding that she didn't have a suitable answer, she quickly closed it again. Her own eyes, although the same emerald green color, didn't contain the anger of her mother's but instead a mixture of boredom and sadness. 

"Just as I thought," Her mother let out a long sigh, evidence of fourteen long years of raising a practical joker of a child, one who adamantly refuses to admit to her own doings. "Why not busy yourself with a walk?" 

Her mother's sigh was now imitated by herself. "Where to?" 

"Where else? I have been trying to get you to visit Mr. Clarkson again for several years now." 

"Have you forgotten, that when I last visited him, he broke my arm?" She flipped back the shoulder length brown hair, leaving a few stray hairs upon the shoulder of her black top, something she took a minute to frown upon. 

Another sigh, this one making it clear that she was not in the mood for arguing. "It was four years ago, and it wasn't his fault. If you had of held onto the damned horse.." 

"Fine. I'm going. Maybe this time he'll break my neck." 

She turned briskly on the heel of her worn out Nike sneakers, smudged with dirt and grass, making it unable to tell that they were once white, leaving her mother to climb up the steel ladder and rescue the blonde, nervous child sitting upon the roof of the old two story house. 


	2. The Letter

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jesssica, as well as her relatives, Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

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**Finally, Destiny**

A light knock was heard on the heavy door of the cabin. Serenity looked up, trying her best not to get her hopes up, but failing miserably. A day hadn't passed in her captivity that she didn't dream up another way of escaping. Two of her most favorite were when a young visitor would come and her capture would let her out of her cage, perhaps to show her off a bit, and before he knew what happened, she would fly away. The other included the spindly Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, appearing inside the cabin, placing his hand on top of her makeshift cage of barbed wire, and simply disappearing with her. Of course, neither had ever happened, but there was always the hope that one would.. 

Mr. Clarkson appeared behind her, his silvery hair ruffled as if he'd just awoken and wearing his plaid pajamas, a pair he had received from his wife nearly twenty years ago. "Now, who could that be, Cynthany? " 

Serenity ruffled her feathers and let out a loud hoot, displeased at the name he had been calling her for the last few years. 

The old man shuffled across the wooden floor, in flannel slippers, towards the front door and opened it, allowing a cold blast of wind to enter, chilling the cabin that so obviously didn't need it. The cold was forgotten when Serenity saw the girl at the door. It was the young witch to whom she had been supposed to deliver the letter. 

She ruffled her feathers, hooted loudly, and moved around rapidly in her cage, all to get the young one's attention. When finally Jessica's eyes did fall upon the owl, Serenity let the letter drop from her wing and between the barbed wire of her cage onto the floor. 

"Come in, dear. It has been so long since I've seen you." He paused, as if trying to think. "Good heavens, it's your fourteenth birthday. Is it not?" 

Jessica smiled, still staring at the owl curiously, her eyes drifting to the parchment on the floor. "It is. My mother shooed me out of the house before she was tempted to end my life at fourteen. She didn't see it as a great birthday present." 

Mr. Clarkson chuckled turning back to the mostly bare room, stopping abruptly as he stooped down to the floor to pick up the parchment Serenity had dropped. "It seems the wind blew in something of yous," He handed it to her and she took it, scanning the front, surprised to see her name scrawled in ink. 

She was about to object, tell him that she'd never seen the parchment before, but she chose that moment to look at Serenity. She didn't know why, but she now knew that this letter was hers; not just because of the obvious, her name scrawled on the front, but the meaningful look the owl seemed to be giving her. 

Although the aged letter stayed on her mind during the entire visit, Mr. Clarkson soon forgot about it. He busied himself with making hot chocolate and idle conversation, pleased to have a visitor. After an hour's worth of "catching up on good times," as Mr. Clarkson put it, Jessica felt it was time to go. Feeling the parchment, now tucked into her jeans' pocket, she stood and smiled at the elderly man. "I've had a great time, Mr. Clarkson, but I'm afraid I should be going home now. I'll be sure to visit again." 

This seemed to suit him quite fine, especially the part of a future visit, and Jessica was soon walking in a hurried pace towards her home, eager to open the letter that would forever change her life. 


	3. Accepted

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jesssica, as well as her relatives, Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

**Fainted Letters**

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With a hurried pace, Jessica managed to make the trip back in less than fifteen minutes. Ignoring her mother's questions of how the visit had went as she ran through the Victorian styled kitchen, she went instantly to her room. The letter, sitting comfortably in her jeans' pocket, was driving her insane with curiosity. When she finally collapsed on her bed her thoughts fell out in confused tears. 

She had always been an overly emotional child, and the characteristic was not spared now as she roughly moved the shoulder length brown hair away from her face and blinked away the tears, shoving her hand down into the depth of her pocket and pulling out with it the letter. Its envelope was fairly large, at least compared to the ones she was used to seeing, and fairly yellowed. 

Upon further inspection she realized it was unmistakably hers, she had still been a bit unsure about that. Her name sat upon it's aged parchment in scrawled ink, her address directly below it. How did Mr. Clarkson acquire possession of it? She shook her head, speaking aloud, "No, how did that owl acquire it?" 

She knew for certain that it had come from the owl. With only one look into its wisened eyes, she knew it. Now, she needed to know what was inside it. 

Carefully, she turned it over, taking a minute to admire the crest bearing four animals, and with her newly manicured nails that she was so very proud of, opened it and pulled out two sheets of equally yellowed paper. 

"Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry?" She asked herself questionably, reading the top. "How peculiar," and it was all very peculiar. She learned that as she continued to read. 

She laughed. "I've been accepted?" Her eyes fluttered towards the top. "Exactly three years ago." She paused. "And I was due to start in September.." 

She continued to laugh, although not sure at what. She put down the first sheet and began to read the second. 

"A cauldron? First years not allowed a broomstick? I suppose I never was too fond of sweeping." Tears were once again streaming down her cheeks, and she wasn't sure what for. 

She set the sheet of paper down, staring at loopy scrawl of the handwriting, and the aged parchment it was written on. 

Her door opened, signaling someone's arrival with the squeak of the rusty hinges her father had promised to oil several months ago. Her head instantly lifted and her eyes locked with her mothers. Before her mother was allowed to speak Jessica let the words spill out, "I've been accepted to Hogwarts." 

Her mother fainted. 


	4. British Ancestory

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jesssica, as well as her relatives, Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

**A Story Never Told**

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Jessica instinctively hid the envelope and its scattered contents below her bed, on top a pile of dance tickets and party invitations she'd kept concealed from her mother for years. Then she quickly kneeled down beside her mother, leaning over her to see if she was all right. 

Jessica's tears had fled, instead a new feeling had taken its place. Excitement and curiosity bubbled inside her, but for her mother's sake, it was masked, quite poorly, by concern. 

Her mother's eyes were closed, but Jessica could feel her breath upon her face as she leaned closer. She sat up and waited for her mother to do the same. Instead she only moved her lips, whispering the words "It was only a dream, Jess?" It was not a statement, but a question, and without any doubt Jessica answered. "Yes, Mom. It was only a dream. 

Her mother's eyes opened and she began to sit up. In return, Jessica stood and held out her hand to assist her mother. She gratefully took it and stood up, falling back onto her daughter's bed, letting her arm drop. She patted the spot beside her but Jessica stood, grasping the desk beside her with her left hand, feeling that she'd need something to hold onto, sensing that her mother was about to tell her something. 

"Did I ever tell you, you're British?" Her mother started, and noting the blank stare she continued on. "We moved away when you were three." The sigh Jessica had long ago grown accustomed to found its familiar place on the lips of her mother and traveled upwards filling her own ears with the sound. "That's when the whole nightmare started." 

Jessica nodded, pretending to know what she was talking of, even though they both knew she didn't. She only knew that she needed her mother to continue. 

"My best friend lived there, and still does. I asked her to come with us, but no matter how much her daughter continued to betray her, she refused to come. 

Katelyn and you both had the same birthday, and the morning you turned three, Katelyn turned eleven. It would have been a joyous event had that letter not arrived. 

It was clearly addressed to Katelyn, and on the back was a crest with a lion, badger, snake, and raven." 

Searching her memory, an image of the same crest her mother was describing entered her mind. She had seen it on the envelope when opening it. 

"It was from a school called Hogwarts," She paused. "A proposed school of witchcraft and wizardry. 

Bridgette refused to allow Katelyn to go. She wouldn't listen, however, and that following fall she left, through a wall," she paused, as if the last words had taken much out of her, "to Hogwarts. I didn't stick around to find out what happened to her. I was only thinking about you and your safety. I wasn't going allow you to be sent away from me. So, your father and I packed up our things and moved away." 

Jessica smiled. Perhaps the letter wasn't entirely fiction, and maybe not fiction at all. 

Her mother returned the smile, although weakly, and stood. "You deserved to know the truth. Besides, your eleventh birthday has passed. You won't be going away from me. I wouldn't allow it." 

Her mother stepped forward and encircled her arms around her child's shoulders, pulling her towards her in a hug. While returning it, Jessica couldn't help but think that her mother had just unknowingly helped her daughter in pursuing an education in witchcraft. Whether she knew very much of the school, she now knew she had to attend it, and wanted to more than she had ever wanted anything else. 


	5. Letter On Its Way

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jesssica, as well as her relatives, Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

**On Her Way**

Besides being overly emotional, Jessica also had another fault, or quirk to her personality. She felt the need to defy whatever any person of authority tells her, especially her mother. 

In the past years she'd become a master in sneaking out (only being caught a couple times,) and refusing to do mandatory assignments, or wear her school uniform. It was all topped by the practical jokes she pulled, although she still insisted she'd never purposely done any of them. 

So, when her mother told her she would never let her go to Hogwarts, Jessica planned to do just that, and she knew just where to start. 

Locking her door, Jessica pulled out the letter and once again began to examine it. She hadn't a clue where she would find the supplies she needed, but she supposed that the correspondence she was about to begin with the headmaster would answer these questions. She wouldn't allow the idea of not being allowed to attend the school enter her mind. She was adamant about getting in, and she wouldn't let anything stand in her way. 

As she pulled out a few of her own sheets of paper and set her pen to it, she felt more excitement inside her than she ever had before. Just as she was about to write the words "Professor Dumbledore," the mirror above her desk fell to the floor and shattered into what seemed to be a thousand or so pieces. Jessica could only stare. The mirror had been bolted onto the wall. Wanting to avoid a confrontation with her mother about it she swept it all, including the silver frame, under her bed, where she'd grown use to hiding all her things. 

She sat down her pen and stared at the now bare wall in front of her, her excitement momentarily forgotten. 

That lasted for all of five seconds, and soon she was furiously scribbling a letter to the headmaster, explaining her situation and expressing her burning desire to attend the school. When she was done, she folded up the two full pages of writing and sealed them with a small blue sticker with her initials written upon it in gold from a stationary kit her mother had given her for her birthday earlier, that was now sitting beside her, relatively unused, as it would remain. 

Later that night, telling her mother she was heading off to a friend's, She walked back to Mr. Clarkson's for the second time that day, happy to see that the lights were out. She inched forward slowly, her letter in her hand, soon grasping the doorknob with her other. As she had expected the door was unlocked and she turned the doorknob, careful not to make a sound and stepped onto the wooden floor. Serenity had been awake, being a nocturnal owl, and no matter how light Jessica's step was, she heard her enter and looked up immediately. Jessica scurried across the floor towards her, opening the cage quickly and holding the letter forward, not sure what to do. 

Serenity obviously did, however, as she took the letter it the beak, cast a thankful look Jessica's way, and flew off out the open door. Although not nearly as quickly, or as gracefully as the owl, actually stumbling over a chair, but managing to stop it from falling, Jessica finally exited the small cabin and began her way home. 

For the first time in nearly forty minutes Jessica could breathe freely. She had done it. Not surprisingly, she felt quite guilty now. Mr. Clarkson had talked repeatedly about "his beloved owl" for most of her visit earlier that day, but she had to put that past her now. She was doing this for her. This was what she needed, what she wanted. 

She was on her way to Hogwarts. 


	6. New Found Knowledge

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Sadly, I do not own the copyrights to Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Any mention of either, or other various characters from her books, belong solely to JK Rowling. However, the plot and Jessica, as well as her relatives, and Serenity, and Mr. Clarkson are of my own creation. 

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**Ready to Take on the World**

A week had passed and Jessica's mother had been unusually happy for its entirety. The discussion with her daughter had lifted a huge weight off her chest, and she was even more sure now of her daughter's safety. Jessica's eleventh birthday had been three years ago, and there hadn't been a mention of Hogwarts, she had no reason to worry. Just as she began to hum, he chose to knock. 

Turning off the water in the sink where she had been washing the dishes from dinner, and wiping her hands on the flowery apron at her waist, she walked towards the front parlor and opened the strong oak door, making a note to herself to wash off the grubby fingerprints of her children after the visitor was dealt with. All thoughts of cleaning were soon forgotten when she opened the door and was met by a long white beard. Its owner stared down at her, his blue eyes twinkling gaily, his hair as equally long as the beard in front, and dressed in a dark purple robe. She felt an awful lot like fainting again, but without knowing it, waved him in and instinctively yelled for her daughter. 

Jessica came down the stairs with a frown, expecting her mother to yell about the untouched meatballs on her dinner plate when she too met the bizarre stranger standing in their front parlor. "Who are you?" She asked quizzically, looking him up and down. 

Normally, her mother would have scolded her for being so rude, but she sensed something strange about this man and sat quietly in a rocking chair instead. 

The man chuckled merrily, reminding Jessica of a scrawny Santa Claus. "Professor Dumbledore, miss. I'm assuming you're Jessica." 

Both mother and daughter felt their breath catch in their throat. Jessica was extremely happy, her mother just as extremely upset. She too knew who the man was. 

"So, you got my letter then?" Her mother was now sure she'd stop breathing all together. 

"Oh yes, Serenity has always been quite reliable. It was an unfortunate mistake, what happened three years ago, and I do apologize for not realizing what had happened." 

Jessica nodded, afraid of what would come next. She had missed three years of her education of magical sorts. Would she be allowed to attend in the fall? 

"So, I'm pleased to inform you that you're presence will be expected in the fall as a fourth year student." 

Jessica beamed, her mother clinged to the rocking chair fighting the urge to faint. 

He continued, "But not without the knowledge of the past three years." 

Jessica's smile faded. "I am all so pleased about being let to attend in the fall," at this she cast an extremely pensive look to her mother, "but how would I retain three years worth of lessons before then?" 

Dumbledore laughed. "Now dear, you're forgetting who and what I am. There's a simple potion I had one of our professors whip up for me," he produced a glass vial filled with a gummy blue solution, "and upon drinking it you'll have no need for the previous three years." 

Her mother couldn't stand it a second more, she stood, tears streaming down her face, her back to Dumbledore and her face to her daughter. "You're not.. you can't be serious.. You won't be going to that school, Jessica. If you do I can guarantee that you won't find a home when you return." 

Jessica looked shocked, and tears readily stinged at her eyes. 

Her mother took one last look at her speechless daughter, with her chestnut brown hair, green eyes that made the two look so much alike, and then turned away. "I do mean it, Jessica." At this she walked from the room. 

Jessica looked at Dumbledore and blinked the tears from her eyes. "The potion, please?" 

Dumbledore handed it to her tentatively and as soon as she had it in her hand she forced it down her throat. She'd never felt anything like it before, as potion recipes, spells, facts about trolls and human transfiguration flooded her mind. When finally the potion had worked itself through her mind Jessica couldn't imagine not haven known all this before. 

She was a witch now, and ready to take on the world. 


	7. Disowned

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Harry Potter, and any mention of anything related to the books, is owned by JK Rowling, not I. 

**Amid the Most Happiest Moment**

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Jessica collapsed onto her bed, with a flick of her wand dropping the levitated purchases as well. After her thirst for knowledge had been thoroughly quenched, Dumbledore had produced a used soda can (explained to Jessica as a portkey) from his robe, and with a pocketful of money and a hastily thrown winter coat over her jeans and T-shirt, Jessica had been off to Diagon Alley. 

If it had of been up to her, she never would have left, but after being given permission to practice magic during the school months in which she'd be absent from, away from the prying eyes of muggles of course, the trip home had been made less of a chore. 

She stared fondly at her wand, thinking back to the unkempt shop where it had been bought and the peculiar old man who had sold it to her. 

She had tried wand after wand, emitting sparks and causing chairs to collapse, but finally when tiny budding roses emitted from the end of one wand he had grabbed it from her and let out a shout. "Dragon heart string, mahogany, eight inches," and then preceded to wrap it in a small black box. Ushering her out he had handed her the purchase and disappeared between the shelves of wands inside. 

Dumbledore had only chuckled and led her to be fitted for her robes. 

She now had her cauldron, a set of next year's books (she had decided on taking Ancient Runes, Divination, and Arithmacy along with the other necessary courses,) her robes, and much more. She began to wonder how she would manage to carry it all to the airport when the time came to leave. 

She had just been practicing her "Quietus" spell when she heard her parent's shouting travel upwards from downstairs. "Too bad I can't use spells on them.." She squeaked in a small voice before remembering to remove the spell. 

She inched downstairs just in time to catch ".. a witch!" and "Never!" She groaned, these next months before fall were going to be anything but pleasant. Her mother seemed dead set on kicking her out of the house come next summer when she would return home, but Jessica simply couldn't bring herself to believe it. 

Making her way into the living room, whose couches were dreadfully bright reds and walls a horribly dull gray, she managed once again to catch a bit of the conversation, or shout fest. 

"I've disowned her, Angus!" Her mother screamed in a threateningly loud voice, leering at her father. "No daughter of mine will be a witch." 

"We can talk to her, Charlotte. She'll listen. I don't want her.." 

Her mother raged with fury. "Listen? She doesn't know the meaning of the word! She's a witch. She went off with that spindly man and came home with her things floating above her!" 

Jessica gulped, she had hoped her mother hadn't seen that. 

Her father seemed shocked, and upon looking around the room to avoid eye contact with his wife he spotted his eldest daughter. 

"Jessica, is it true?" 

She nodded solemnly, fighting hard to keep a grin off her face. No matter how they felt, she would always think it had been the best thing to happen to her. 

Her mother turned around, her eyes burning with hatred, catching Jessica off guard. "You made your choice. I just want you to know that when you go off to that little witchy school," she said it all in disgust as if trying to spit out some horribly rancid piece of food, "you won't be using the family name." 

Jessica's eyes wandered to her father's, but what she found there was not the sympathy she had been looking for, but instead agreement. 

"You've betrayed us, Jess," He said, shaking his head. 

Jessica turned and ran back up the stairs, waiting until she reached her room to burst into tears. Her bed began to shake and her books and cauldron flew straight at the wall, but she didn't care as she bet the pillow on the dangerously vibrating bed, howling as if she'd lost her best friend, only it was much worse than that. She had lost her home and family amid the most happiest moment of her life. 


	8. Bitter Farewell

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** JK Rowling is the one and only person who owns the rights to Hogwarts and anything associated with it. 

**Empty Thoughts**

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The months before fall dragged on until Jessica could barely take it anymore. With a convenient smudge on her birth date, she managed to land a job as a waitress at a local restaurant. Last year she would have spent the money she was making immediately, on new clothes, CDs, makeup, and God knows what else, but she needed it for something much more important this year. 

Not only was she getting kicked out her house (her father promised to find a place for her and continue to support her, which she was thankful for,) but she would also have to support her own education. Her last trip to Diagon Alley, which had also been her first, had cost her a pretty penny. In fact, it had cost her a numerous amount of them. The savings she had worked so hard not to spend had been dwindled down to nothing in a matter of hours. 

She wasn't upset about it. She felt they were some of the best purchases she had made. When not in school, purposely avoiding her friends, or slaving away at her job, she was locked up in her room practicing spells. Once the summer months came, and she, just like any other Hogwart's student, was forbidden to use magic, she read and reread her school books. 

The once fun-loving, caring, and emotional girl had been turned into a block of stone. Well, a block of stone with occasional outbursts of violence and shaking. Her mother's hatred had radiated to her. Only the promise of Hogwarts, where things promised to be better, kept her alive. 

So, when the day came for her to leave, she was understandably relieved. She stood with her arms at her sides while her younger siblings hugged her, sobbing and asking her why she had to leave. When finally they let go she didn't so much as acknowledge her parents and watched as the hired taxi driver lifted her luggage into his trunk (with a few odd looks. What kind of girl owned a cauldron?) Once he was finished she slipped into the seat, shutting the door and letting her face drop into her hands. 

She dozed off nearly half a dozen times during the drive to the airport, and once on the plane did so again. She was awoken by a curly haired flight attendant hours later and transferred planes. The staff whispered about her in the back. She was a pretty thing, surprisingly grown-up looking in her black dress pants and white blouse, but they had all noticed a profuse sadness about her. They wondered what it could be. An abusive father, maybe? Perhaps someone close to her had died? No one knew for sure, since as she stared off into the clouds, she was silent. They surely had fun entertaining themselves with the possibilities, though. 

When the plane landed she slipped into another taxi, waiting for the driver to toss her luggage in the back. As she looked out the window at the gloomy gray sky, she smiled. She was almost there. 

Her mood instantly lifted at the promise of the nearby school. Her clothes were slightly more rumpled than they had been when she left, yet no less flattering, but the most noticeable difference was the peace in her eyes and the smile on her face. She managed to make conversation with the driver on her way to the train station, becoming more and more happy as the mile sepd by. She laughed at his inquiries about her "curious luggage" and told him about her old friends at home, realizing how much she would miss them and that she regretted avoiding them for the past months. 

As the taxi stopped to let her off at the train station, Jessica looked out her window. The platforms were packed with wall to wall people. She spotted an abandoned trolley and had the cab driver assist her in getting her luggage on top of it. With a final wave to her new friend, she pushed her way through the people towards platform 9 ¾. As she reached platform 9, and then platform 10, she decided to take another look at her ticket she'd recieved from Dumbledore. 9 ¾ was certainly the platform she was to find, but there was only one problem. Where was she to find it? 


	9. Blue Eyed Stranger

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** As always, JK Rowling owns Hogwarts, or at least the idea of it. 

**Quite a Sight**

Confused, and afraid of missing the train that was due to leave in half and hour, Jessica leaned against the barrier between platforms nine and ten.. Falling straight through, fortunately dragging her trolley along with her. 

She looked around, sitting on the ground, her luggage around her feet, and laughed when she saw the sign above her reading Platform 9 ¾. A few people looked at her oddly, careful to step over her, but Jessica didn't mind. She was closer than she had ever been to Hogwarts, where everything would be perfect. 

Her hopes for Hogwarts were set high, and she knew she wouldn't be disappointed. Or so she thought.. 

"Excuse me, but are you all right?" 

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Jessica looked up, finding herself staring into the two most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. It was like looking into the pacific ocean, they were so blue, and the mischievous look in them was much too attractive. 

The rest of him wasn't so bad either. Despite a bit of adolescence acne scattered across his forehead; the brown hair that was too short to be stylish and too long to be tamed, and the surpassingly muscular body that Jessica could see rippling from under the white T-shirt and blue jeans created a splendid appearance. 

She wasn't the only one admiring something attractive during the awkward silence, he too had found quite and attractive girl under the books and clothes that had spilled out on top of her. 

She blushed, "I'm fine. I just figured out where the platform was." 

He laughed nervously. She was a first year? With the figure that had filled out most admirably during her teenage years he didn't think it possible. "Is it your first year?" 

She smiled, reaching for his hand to assist herself up. Finding it, and nearly falling back down as he gripped hers, she managed to make her way up. "Sort of.. It's my first year at Hogwarts, but I'm in my fourth year." 

He returned the smile, thinking to himself that the situation had turned to be a bit better than he had expected. He was a sixth year, but he knew it wouldn't be totally unacceptable to become romantically involved with a fourth year. Wait, what was he thinking? He had.. 

A small cough, made by Jessica to pull him back to reality, interrupted his thoughts. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something." 

"I figured that much," She said, somewhat sarcastically while beginning to sort out her luggage once again. 

He leaned down to help, brushing his hand against her and standing again, swallowing hard. A look or absolute horror had touched his face and he seemed to be fumbling with his own hands. "I'm sorry.. I have to go," He turned and hurried away, disappearing into one of the train's compartments. 

"What did I do to scare him off?" She thought out loud while continuing to pick up her scattered things, finally finishing and stuffing them and herself into an empty compartment just before the train took off. 

She settled back in her seat, staring out the window, and dozing off to the sound of the train. 


	10. Sorting Hat

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer- **As always the idea of Hogwarts and those associated with it belong solely to JK Rowling. 

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**Befuddled Sorts**

From a small jolt as the train turned Jessica awoke, bleary eyed and slightly nauseous, realizing that train rides didn't quite agree with her. Not sure of how close they were to Hogwarts, she decided to slip into her school robes. Slowly uncrossing her legs and returning them from the seat to the floor she leaned over and began to rummage around in her suitcase, pulling out a black robe. With a yawn she stood and stretched, then pulled the robe over her head and sat back down, smoothing down the hair that was now standing upright. Suddenly, the train lurched forward and Jessica fell onto the floor. For the second time that day she began to laugh and looked up to find herself lost in those beautiful blue eyes again. 

He looked surprised to find her there and blushed. "I was just.. The driver wanted me to inform the passengers of our arrival." He said this all in a rush and took off, slamming the compartment door behind him. 

Picking herself up Jessica wondered what his problem was, or if it was her. "No need of worrying about boys," She scolded herself. "I'm at Hogwarts now." An insanely happy grin spread onto her face like a rapidly spreading virus. 

She began to lug her luggage out the compartment door when she noticed everyone else was leaving theirs behind. So, following suit, Jessica did the same and made her way over to a giant beast of a man yelling for all first years. 

He instantly noticed her, being a few inches taller than the others, and smiled surprisingly warmly. "Ya' must be Jessica. If Dumbledore hasn't been talkin' of you a great deal.. It's a great shame you wasn't here three years earlier," and then, raising his voice, "Follow me!" 

Jessica followed, barely noticing the eyes all pointed at the back of her head, and got into the front of a boat, looking nervously at the lake beneath them as the boats began to move across the water. All doubts or fears were put to rest when the castle came into view. Jessica blinked, sure it was a dream. It was more magnificent than she had ever dreamed, and the first years behind her obviously felt the same way. 

As if in a daze, Jessica followed the others out of the boats and up onto the main grounds and into the castle. So, there they stood, straining to hear the sounds of nearby students, huddled as a nervous group. A elderly and strict looking woman with dark hair and a seemingly permanent pout entered the room and smiled grimly for a second at the new students before her lips formed the pout once again. "I am Professor McGonagall," She said, crossing her hands behind her back and pacing in front of them. "You will be led into the Great Hall in a matter of seconds where you will be sorted into the appropiate house, either Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, or Hufflepuff." Her eyes searched the mass of students, landing on Jessica, gave her a curt nod as a sign of acknowledgment and then turned, opening the tall doors and leaving the students behind her. 

They quickly caught up, however, staring at the never ending ceiling which seemed to fade into the night sky, the four long tables with rows of students, and the one at the front where the professors were seated beaming down at them all, except for one particularly greasy one at the end who seemed to be sneering. They once again formed a small huddle, this time at the bottom of a few steps, staring up at a wooden stool and a ragged looking pointed hat. 

"Before the sorting begins, Dumbledore would like to say a few words," The professor said, taking a position beside the stool. 

Dumbledore, who sat in the middle of the front table of professors, wearing a dark blue robe this time, stood and smiled down at the new first years, winking affectionately at Jessica before beginning. "Not only have we been honored with the presence of our new first years this fall, but also with a new fourth year," Jessica could hear those behind her begin to chatter aimlessly about this, and upon waiting for them to silence, Dumbledore continued. "After a minor mistake, Jessica Nicole will be joining us as a fourth year and wonderful addition to our school," At this he sat down. Jessica looked curiously at him, surprised at the use of her middle name. Her mother had forbidden her to use their family name, but how did he know that? With a smile to herself she realized that a man like Dumbledore would have his ways. 

"Nicole, Jessica!" 

She walked briskly towards the stool upon McGonagal calling her name, and sat as she lifted the hat and set it on top Jessica's head. 

"I knew you were missing," It whispered in her ear, "But I didn't say anything because I know of what is to happen." Silence followed this, as Jessica sat bewildered, wondering what it meant. "Considering that, I suppose Slytherin would seem like an appropriate choice to most, but no the right place for you is none other than.. RAVENCLAW!" 

The last comment was one that everyone heard, and clapping followed as Jessica, quite confused, made her way towards the table at which they were beckoning her, which she correctly assumed was the Ravenclaw table. After a few pats on the back Jessica sat back in her chair, desperately trying to make sense of the hat's comments, not being brought back to reality until the hat cried out "Slytherin" while sitting upon the last first year, Urethra, Kayla's head. Those sitting at her table were staring at her expectantly and she smiled nervously, attempting to rid her thoughts of the before comments. 


	11. Promise of a Good Year

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer- **The idea of Hogwarts and all related still belongs to JK Rowling. 

**Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables**

It wasn't the fact that she had joined them three years later that someone first made conversation on, but that she was avoiding the meat. 

A sixth year had looked at her quizzically, a strand of her black hair falling from her tightly secured bun and into her face as her equally dark eyes flashed with curiosity, watching Jessica shove another forkful of vegetables into her mouth. 

"The meat is good, you know.." She said in a heavy British accent. Jessica hadn't heard anything but a British accent since she had gotten off the plane, but it still sounded amusing to her. 

"I'm a vegetarian," She smiled. 

The girl nodded, not looking too satisfied, but likely feeling that the issue wouldn't be best to get into with a stranger. "My name's Louise Balkier, by the way." 

Jessica tried not to turn up her nose at the name, but she didn't succeed too well, and a boy beside her began to laugh. 

Louise cast a most ungrateful look his way and whispered to Jessica, "Lulu's my preferred name and him.." She said, sticking her thumb towards the boy beside her, "He's Thomas." 

Thomas stuck out his hand and Jessica smiled. His eyes were covered by the same profuse brown curls that seemed to consume his entire head and his skin was dotted with brown freckles. Jessica shook his hand, laughing as he blew a curl out of his face. 

"A fellow fourth year of yours," he said happily. "And Lulu there is an all mighty, superior, sixth year." He put on quite a show, drawing out the words and causing Lulu to reach across the table and playfully smack him. 

Laughing she looked around the table at the unknown faces, finding herself once again lost in those beautiful blue eyes of the boy she had met on the train. He wasn't looking back at her this time though. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding her. 

Lulu followed her gaze. "Alex caught your eye?" 

Jessica blushed. "Is that his name?" 

Her new friend laughed. "I should know. He is in all my classes." 

Thomas wrinkled up his nose, "And he's romantically attached to a certain young Slytherin." 

Lulu stuck out her tongue in mock disgust, turning back to Jessica. "Not so sadly, he's taken. Professor Trelawney, she's the Divination teacher, has always favored him. As I rule, I stay away those who spend extra time with that old bat." 

Thomas lowered his voice, leaning closer to Jessica, "She's just upset that he never fancied her." 

His voice hadn't been low enough because seconds later a great glob of mashed potatoes landed on top of his head of curls. 

Jessica sat back in her seat contentedly, happy with her two new friends and the promise of a terrific year. Still, despite everything, her mind wandered back to what the sorting hat had said, 'I know of what is to come,' and a certain blue eyed boy. 


	12. Dreaming of a Month Gone

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** JK Rowling still owns the rights to Hogwarts. 

**To Stay Perfect**

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"You're a witch, Jessica!" Her mother screamed at her. Feeling a small tug at the bottom of her pant leg, she looked down at her younger brother and sister, their light hair obscured in front of their tear streaked faces. 

"Why did you have to do this to us?" They sobbed. "Please, come home." 

She whirled around, only to come face to face with her father. "You've disappointed us, Jess." 

She ran away, falling and looking up into the blue eyes of.. 

An owl. 

She sat up, looking around the dark bedroom she shared with four other girls, the one she had called home for the past month. Serenity was sitting on top of her chest, looking at her rather peculiarly. 

"Serenity, what are you doing in here?" She asked, catching her breath and trying to push the dream out of her head. 

The owl had become rather fond of the young girl, and visited her on a regular basis, but never in the middle of the night like this. 

"Is there something wrong, Serenity?" But the owl seemed content now, nuzzling against her neck as Jessica lifted her hair off the back of her neck and stretched her arms. 

She swung her legs over her bed, admiring the blue pajama pants she was wearing, and thinking of the matching top. They were decorated with yellow stars and had been a gift from her mother for her fourteenth birthday. They reminded her of the stationary kit at home, the one she'd used to send the letter to Dumbledore. 

She sighed, remembering the dream and her mother's screams, "It's her fault, not mine," She said breathlessly. 

"Jess?" A hand reached down and landed on her shoulder. The gentle touch belonged to Katie Beck, a fellow fourth year Ravenclaw whom she'd become quite close to as a friend in the past month at Hogwarts. 

She laughed, looking up at her friend in the satiny pink night gown, normally the picture of perfection but with her blurry brown eyes and blonde hair, stuck out in every direction she was anything but, "Hey, Kate. Did I wake you?" 

"No, that owl of yours did," She said, pointing to Serenity now sitting on the rumpled white comforter. "The beating of her wings isn't the quietest thing." 

Jessica hadn't noticed, being lost in her thoughts. 

"Well, we've got Potions first thing tomorrow morning, I'd suggest getting some sleep so you can be awake for it. Snape's been especially strict since AJ blew up that potion and singed off his eyebrows last week." 

"How could I forget? It took him the rest of the class to put together a potion to grow them back. Poor AJ, Snape will never forgive him." Swinging her legs back up on to the bed she leaned against the wooden headboard of her bed, "But you've got a good point, I'll go back to sleep." 

Katie hurriedly rushed back to her own bed, stifling a yawn and falling back asleep before her head hit the pillow. 

Serenity nuzzled her beak against the legs beneath the covers and then flew out the open window beside her bed. Staring out at the window at the dark sky and full, white moon, Jessica looked back on the month she had been at Hogwarts. 

The hate her mother had placed in her heart was conveniently misplaced, hidden under the joy of being at the school. She had made new friends and acquired a love for what she studied. 

Things were just as she had hoped, perfect. But little did she know that they wouldn't stay that way for long. 


	13. Divination Disaster

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** Rights to Hogwarts, and characters from the Harry Potter books, belong to JK Rowling. 

**Snogging Rights**

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Potions had been devised of an hour or so of Snape's beady eyes staring at you from behind as you fumbled with ingredients to finish the complicated potion in which a major of part of your grade would lie. 

When finally it was over, the fourth year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students would have ran from the poorly lit dungeons if Snape would have permitted it. Of course, it would have only resulted in an extra assignment, or worse a detention with the fowl man, so they exited in the normal, orderly manner and felt their stress instantly leave as they shed the darkness and climbed up into the light. 

Potions was followed by Divination. Although a rare occurrence, Jessica reached the classroom first. Her petite stature was a disadvantage in this case, as she couldn't reach the string above to pull down the ladder on which she was to climb up to the musky classroom. Staring at the spot above her, she didn't notice the dark haired boy approaching her. 

"Would you like a hand, or perhaps a couple inches added to your height?" He emitted a low chuckle as he pulled down the ladder and crawled up into the classroom. 

Jessica rolled her eyes. Luke was no doubt attractive, with a form that even Alex, the blue eyed "God" she'd been known to stare at whenever possible, couldn't match up to, but he was rude and impossible to get along with. 

After being shoved past by a few other students, Jessica too climbed up the ladder and chose a seat at an empty table, waiting for a friendly face to appear, or at the very least, Professor Trelawney. Although she had no lack of friends, she wasn't as much of the social butterfly here as she was at home. In fact, she was much more interested in her studies. Still, sitting alone while others talked amongst themselves in groups of friends made her feel uncomfortable. 

Her wish was seemingly about to be granted as a chair beside her was pulled out and Jessica turned, expecting to be looking into the face of Gryffindor, Peter Lisely, but instead looking up at Luke. 

"Don't look so disappointed, Ms. Nicole." He said taking a seat. "I know you were hoping to see little Petey, but you'd have to wait until after class to begin your snogging, anyway." 

Jessica gasped, and saw that the girls at a nearby table were snickering at her. "How dare you!" She said standing, searching her mind for something to say. "I wouldn't be snogging a guy like him.." She sputtered. 

"Well, at least now he doesn't have to get his hopes up." Luke sneered. 

Jessica's face instantly fell. 

"'A guy like him?' What exactly am I like, Jessica?" Peter asked, walking towards her from behind. Jessica turned and instantly saw the hurt in the innocent blue eyes and the strain on his pale face as he fought to hold a nonchalant look. 

"Oh, Peter. I didn't mean it like that.." She started. 

"Oh, so what did you mean? Guys with a brain aren't the type for you, are they? Good looking, obnoxious ones who won't think twice about a break in the broom closet are more your style, aren't they? Especially if they have blue eyes, eh?" 

Tears began to sting her eyes as she stared unbelievably at him, "You know I wouldn't do that." 

"Quite the opposite, Jessica, I don't know you at all." 

Cruel laughter and chattering flooded her ears. "So, who were you spending time in the broom closet with, Jess?" Several girls from a nearby table taunted, "Or is it a different one everyday?" 

Just as the professor entered the room Jessica stormed out, stumbling over panel in the floor and awkwardly climbing down. 

"My heavens, go fetch her someone." 

And so, with a smug grin on his face, Luke followed after her. 


	14. Change of Heart

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** No matter how much thought I do or don't put into this, the whole concept of Hogwarts was first thought up by the all powerful, JK Rowling. 

**Best Interests**

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"Jessica, wait!" 

Jessica whirled around, her back to a staircase and her face flushed with anger, staring at him. 

He made a move to come closer, but only succeeded in reversing roles, with his back now at the steep staircase. 

Jessica pulled out her wand and Luke couldn't believe what he saw in her eyes. The tears were gone and now they were masked by something gleeful, radiating hate full blast towards Luke. 

He motioned to take a step back, realizing he had no place to go. 

"Do you realize how easy it would be to make you fall down those stairs? A light push would do it, but then what purpose would my wand be?" Luke stared at her in disbelief. "Of course the most satisfying way would be to have you cause yourself to fall. Conjuring up a small puddle of liquid underneath your feet would do the trick, would it not?" 

Frozen, and unable to do anything, the eyes that once showed a sarcastic and witty young boy now showed someone frightened for their life. 

"Accio.." But Jessica was interrupted by Professor Trelawney. 

"Ms. Nicole, what are you doing?" 

Jessica put down her wand, the hate instantly disappearing, suddenly replaced by a smile and joyous attitude. "Scaring the daylights out of this young twit, Trelawney. Just joking around." 

The professor, looking like a sickly bat in the heavy pink robes she insisted on wearing, cast an odd look at the both of them, relief washing over Luke's face as he bent over and retched, the breakfast of bacon and eggs laying on the hallway floor for all to see. 

Just as soon as his stomach did another turn, a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, "I'll take him to the nurse, Professor," and was leading him away. 

She lifted his chin, looking into his eyes, the dark brown swirls showing a hint of vulnerability. "Are you okay, Luke?" 

His breath caught in his throat as he stared up at the green eyes, now so caring and concerned. Had he just imagined the hate that had been in them only minutes before? 

"I'll.. I'll be fine." He said, lowering his head again. 

"You do know I was only joking, don't you?" She asked in concern. "I'd never hurt you, no matter how much I pretend to dislike you." 

"Pretend?" He tryed to laugh, but it only made his nervous stomach do a flip, "You're a pretty good actress." 

She smiled, "I know." 

With her arm around him they managed to weave their way through the castle and to the arms of Madame Pomfrey. Noting the sick look on the boy's face she took him in concern and shooed Jessica away. 

While walking back to the Divination classroom Jessica grinned. Seeing the fear and vulnerability in Luke's eyes had fed her need for revenge and now all she needed was for Peter to forgive her, and he would, if he knew what was in his best interest. 


	15. Unforgiveable

**Too Late**

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**A/N-** I just realized that this story is turning out to be *very* long. This is the fifteenth chapter. 

**Disclaimer-**Just like in the last fourteen chapters, anything that includes the mention of Hogwarts, or its teachers, has been shamelessly borrowed from the writings of JK Rowling. 

**Unforgiveable Curses**

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"Peter, please!" 

The musty classroom had always been unbearable, but Jessica felt it to be even more so while begging Peter for her forgiveness. 

"I have no interest in having my friend put down my name for the sake of her reputation." 

"Peter, for the last time, I didn't mean to hurt you." 

Peter whirled around in his chair, Trelawney's warnings of a raging storm that would appear in the next week completely ignored. "Well, you did." 

As he turned back in his chair Jessica sat staring at his back and muttered lowly to herself. "I gave you your chance, Petey," she said sickeningly, picking up on the name Luke had dubbed him with. 

The next week was spent with a look of genuine remorse on her face, turned on whenever Peter would look her way. 

Finally, exactly a week after the happenings in the Divination classroom, Jessica approached him, grabbing his arm with surprising strength before he could turn away. 

"Meet me in the library, Saturday. Everyone else will be at Hogsmeade, we can talk alone." 

Peter only loosened himself from her grip and walked away, but she knew he would be there. He had to be. 

When Saturday finally came, Jessica waved farewell to her house mates and made her way to the library. 

She didn't have to wait long, because immediately upon her arrival, Peter tapped her on the shoulder, "Okay, I'm here. Talk." 

Casting a wary eye at the librarian, but to no avail as she was sound asleep, her nose stuck in a book with their former Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher's face upon it, snoring like hippogriff with a bad cold, she pulled Peter behind a case of books. 

She'd never seen him out of his robes. In dark jeans and hooded gray sweatshirt, he was certainly different looking. 

"Stand here," She said, pulling her wand from the pocket of the cotton blue gym pants she was wearing. 

Peter did as told, not sure of what she was doing, and regardless of the anger he still held for her, he found himself admiring her form in the gym pants and plain white T-shirt. With her hair swept into a ponytail she looked unusually casual, which didn't fit the tense look on her face. 

She wanted to say the word, perform the unforgivable curse on him and leave him begging for _her_ forgiveness. She raised her wand, avoiding his eyes and started "Cr.." 

"Jesus, Jess! What are you doing?" He asked, immeadietly recognizing the start of a curse. 

Dropping her wand she enfolded her arms around him and began to sob. "I just wanted you to forgive me, Peter." 

It took a few moments for him to respond, and when he did he ran his fingers through her hair and told her it was okay. "I forgive you, Jess. I know you didn't mean it." He tried to forget the image of her holding her wand, a curse on her lips, but he couldn't. He could forgive her, but their friendship was broken. 

He kissed her forehead softly and lifted her arms away from his shoulders, walking away. 

She slumped down against the bookcase, causing a few to fall, waking the librarian. She looked down at the heavy books, one question on her mind, "What's wrong with me?" 


	16. An End and Beginning

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer- **Did you really think, that after fifteen chapters of the same disclaimer, I own Hogwarts and all related? 

**Eggs and Bacon**

The morning didn't look good on Jessica, and never had. The blue cotton nightgown was rumpled and slightly displaced, hanging over one shoulder and rising up the opposite hip. Her hair rivaled the thickness of the late hairstyle, the beehive and running a comb through it only made it shoot out in more directions. Yesterday's makeup, which consisted primarily of mascara and pink lipstick, was smudged throughout her entire face. 

"Jesus, no wonder my younger sister used to avoid me in the mornings." 

Happy to see that the dorm was empty she made her way to the bathroom, turning on the shower full blast and peeling off the nightgown and stepping into the water. 

Half an hour later she returned to the dorm, her dirtied laundry in one hand while the other gripped the towel she was clothed in. 

She threw the contents in her right hand into the wicker hamper beside her bed, drawing back the white curtains she hadn't bothered with earlier. She leaned down and picked out a pair of blue jeans and blue long sleeved T-shirt, along with a couple more personal items, a brush, which she hoped would untangle the rat's nest on top of her head, and the gray makeup bag in which she was beginning to think laid her life. She took them all into the bathroom, returning looking much more presentable. Her hair had been tamed and lay smoothly against her head, while her face radiated neutrality although her natural features were hidden beneath a good few pounds of concealer. 

The makeup couldn't hide the somber expression on her face, however, as she recalled past events. 

She had come quite close to performing an unforgivable curse on a fellow classmate, and a week before had almost killed another. The sorting hat's words once again floated through her mind. "Slytherin would be appropriate.. I know of what is to come." 

Perhaps the past events were what it had been talking of, and if so, she had overcome them. For the first time in a little more than a week Jessica breathed easy. 

She had overcome them, and now she could go on living her life. Now, maybe her dreams would stop tormenting her subconscious. 

They didn't only include her family's accusations anymore, but they also held the sorting hat's words, and in the last week Luke falling to his death, and just last night, Peter withering under the Crucious curse. 

She was sure that they would end now. 

"The dead has risen, eh?" 

Jessica looked up, surprised to find Lulu in her dorm. 

"I could answer that if I knew the dead you speak of. Everyone in here is living, as far as I know." She raised an eyebrow at Lulu. 

Lulu raised up her hands as if surrendering. 

Her dark hair hung down her back in a single braid, her cheeks oddly flushed. 

"What have you been up to?" She asked, noticing that her casual slacks were slightly rumpled, along with the yellow shirt. 

Lulu blushed, "Nothing, why do you ask?" 

"My God, never try for a job as an actress." 

Lulu's face, now a deep shade of red, deepened even more. "Imetupwith.." She began to mumble. 

"Speak up, girl. My hearing's never been tip top." 

Lulu laughed. "Thomas and I are sort of.." 

"You and Thomas?" She broke into a grin, not allowing her friend to finish and running over to hug her. "It's about time." 

Despite that morning spent gossiping of events around the school, Lulu and Jessica's friendship became less involved after that. She saw Thomas frequently during class, making sarcasm filled comments with his curls sliding into his eyes, but during their free time Thomas and Lulu were much too involved with their own relationship to concentrate on their friendship with Jessica. 

Jessica didn't especially mind, she wasn't as selfish as she had been while attending Muggle school, and she had other friends. Less meaningful friends, but nevertheless she wouldn't be alone. 

Except for that day at breakfast. 

It had been a week since she'd talked to Lulu and Halloween was rapidly approaching, about to arrive on their doorstep in a matter of days. 

Although being alone was quite depressing to her, he found it as a chance to finally make his move. 

For the second time in her attendance at Hogwarts, Luke Garrison pulled out a chair from beside her and sat down unwelcomed. 

"Hello," She said, looking at him oddly, forcing away the thoughts of his near fatal trip down a staircase backwards. 

Things were going well, she hadn't thrown a curse at him or told him to shove off. 

"I was hoping to have a quick breakfast with you." 

She raised one slender eyebrow, that upon further inspection, was bare in a spot near the iris of her eye. He reminded himself to ask her about it once they were on more pleasant terms. 

"Why would you want to have a breakfast with me?" Her voice indicated that his insults were the cause of her question, but inside she felt like screaming "I nearly killed you, God dammit! Now you want to sit and chat with me over the most important meal of the day?" Of course, she didn't, instead she quietly waited for his answer. 

"You were alone, and so was I." 

She shrugged, his company was better than nobody's and she owed him, after unknowingly to him, almost taking his life. At least it appeared as if he didn't know of the incident's seriousness. She was beginning to think he was blind or dumb. Perhaps both. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Serenity, who chose to land on top Luke's plate where he had been piling up sausages and eggs, causing them to splatter all over his button down blue shirt and black trousers. 

She wasn't thinking of this as she stared fondly at Serenity, though. She had a letter in her beak, addressed to Jessica. 

A/N: I don't usually write two author's notes for the same story, but I thought it appropriate to thank MagicalMe, whom I spent the duration of the writing of this chapter talking to. She helped with my creativeness, if that's what you'd call it, and made me try harder to write a better chapter. You may or may not be pleased. 


	17. Adopted Family

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer- **You guessed it. JK Rowling came up with the idea of Hogwarts and a secret society of magic folks. 

**Angry Letters**

While Luke busied himself with cursing the owl who caused the mess he now wore, Jessica took the letter from the owl and patted her head softly. Spreading its wings, and clipping Luke on the nose, Serenity rose and took off, rising up towards the ceiling that Jessica had never been sure was actually there. 

She pocketed the letter and smiled politely at Luke. "Perhaps next time you should try to get the food in your mouth." 

Before he could comment on this, she rose and left the great hall, thanking the fates that it was Saturday and she wouldn't have to attend class. 

In a hurried pace she walked towards her common room, but changed her mind. It was a Saturday morning, everyone in their right mind, except her, and Luke of course, would still be in their dorms or resting in chairs in front of a roaring fire, put there not to warm the inhabitants but to soothe their minds. So, half way down the stairs she turned, undoubtedly angering the staircase, but making her way to the top again before it decided to change. 

Weaving her way down the halls' numerous twists and turns, greeting familiar faces and paintings, she finally made her way to the library. 

Acquiring a seat near the back, she reached into the pockets of her gray suede pants, her hands leaving them with a letter and a handful of lint. Scrunching up her face she let the lint fall to the floor and dropped the letter on the table. 

Who would be sending her a letter? 

The only people, outside of Hogwarts, who knew of her location was her family. 

She stared suspiciously at the plain white envelope and her printed name on the front. It was definitely from the Muggle world. 

Ripping open the side of the envelope with her newly painted metallic blue nails (which matched the T-shirt she was wearing that day,) she let the three way folded lined paper spill onto the dark wooden table that was completely covered with books. 

Carefully, she unfolded it and read the print. 

Ms. Jessica Nicole, 

As of this day, October 27, 2002, you are no longer permitted to the use of your original last name, McLoid. Upon the unusual circumstances that have been presented to our court, you are no longer a legal member of the family of Angus McLoid. 

Upon the arrival of the information of whom you will be staying with in the coming summer months, another letter will be sent with your headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. 

Most sincerely, 

The Canadian Court of Law 

Jessica sat there at the table admist the rows of books, open mouthed and unable to believe what she had just read. 

"Most unfortunate circumstances," Interrupted the sympathetic voice of Dumbledore. 

Without looking up she growled, "I hate her." 


	18. The Beginnings of an Interesting Holiday

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer- **As always, Rowling is the one and only author who owns the rights to Harry Potter and all mentioned in the books. 

**Changing Moods**

As Christmas rapidly approached, Jessica's mood began to lift. 

Luke continued to inhabit the seat beside her in the Great Hall, and soon she wasn't seen without him by her side. 

That night in the common room they had been sitting on the navy sofa, facing the roaring fire with flames of bright oranges and reds. 

"Excuse me!" Demanded the hushed voice of Professor Flitwick, his tiny figure standing on top a chair so he was clearly visible. 

Everyone turned their head towards their Head of House, as he only ever appeared under important circumstances. 

He waved his hand, which held a clipboard, around, causing himself to tip over, his midnight blue robes toppling over him as he almost landed head first. Scrambling up to the top and straining his voice, he continued, "Whoever is staying at Hogwarts this Christmas is to sign this clipboard." He looked as if he was going to wave the clipboard around again, but thinking better of it, sat it on the chair and exited the common room, leaving the Ravenclaws able to rid of their contained laughter. 

Jessica's content mood instantly fell, and Luke noticed as the body beside him under the black cotton blanket became rigid. 

"Don't worry about it, Jess. We'll have a good time here." 

"You don't have to stay. I'm sure your family wants you home." 

"Nah.." He began, looking uncomfortable at telling a lie to her. He straightened the collar of his school robes, identical to Jessica's, but a few sizes larger. 

She smiled, the corners of her mouth lifting, causing her whole face to break into a tickled grin. She poked him in the stomach, "You're not very good at lying." 

His brown eyes crinkled with a look of amusement, "I couldn't go home even if I wanted to. Don't even try for a minute to say you wouldn't make me stay here." 

She shook her head playfully, "I've got to at least try to act like a decent person." She sighed and stood, letting the entirety of the blanket fall onto Luke. "Come on, we're signing up to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas." 

He followed her, tossing the blanket on the floor. 

Below two names she didn't recognize, Isabelle Lanchez and Geoffrey Louis, Jessica signed her name with the eagle feather sitting beside it, then handing it to Luke who signed his directly under hers. 

"There, it's in print. Now, I'm staying." 

"And now I have to buy you a present," She said in an exasperated sigh. 

"Well, I'm not buying you a present." He said in a huff turning towards his dormitory. 

"I wouldn't expect a insolent snot like you to buy me a present, anyway." She said, making her way to her own dormitory. 

They both grinned, knowing that their words were dripping in kind sarcasm. 

No longer visible, Luke shouted out a "Goodnight" and Jessica returned it before opening the door to her dorm and collapsing on the white sheets, fully clothed. 

Meanwhile, he collapsed on his own bed of a satin blue, with a poster of an attractive witch with long red hair winking at him seductively beside him, beginning to get exasperated as he ignored her. 

As they both began to fall into a sleep their thoughts were filled with what to buy each other for the nearing Christmas. 

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"It's your last chance, Luke." 

Christmas was a week away, and it was the students' last visit to Hogsmeade before the holidays. Jessica hadn't yet bought Luke a present, and was leaving him in the common room while she went off to buy him one. 

"I told you, Jess, I don't know what I want for Christmas," He grinned, taking on a slightly more feminine voice, "I _am_ in need of a new look," He said, pointing to the dark hair that lay flatly against his head, "But unless you can warp that up in a present than you're out of luck," He looked positively proud of his joke. 

Jessica only flung her hand out to hit him, but he ducked and headed back to his dormitory to change from his blue pajamas. 

She left, in her black winter robes, her face flushed with fury. He could be so stubborn at times. 

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Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes and merry expression was highly contrasted next to the sullen face of the young girl he sat talking to that morning before breakfast. 

"Ms. Nicole, I was hoping your spirits would be slightly more uppity on the Eve of such a splendid holiday." 

Jessica smiled up at the headmaster, "It's my first Christmas away from home, it's not as joyful as I'd expect." The last statement was received as sarcastically as it was meant and Dumbledore chuckled. 

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor." He patted her on the shoulder and stood, making his way towards the front table. 

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Luke sat down at the breakfast table, setting a sparkling purple bag in front of him, beside the oddly wrapped box in front of Jessica. 

He picked up the box and stared at the wrapping, featuring various comic strips, all bewitched so they moved across the present. 

Jessica picked up the bag as it changed to a deep red, later changing to blue. 

"I can't wait to see what's in here." Luke commented, setting down the interestingly wrapped box. "If it's anything like the outside, I'm sure to enjoy it." 

"It seems my present isn't all that dull either," She said, setting it back on the table as it changed to an orange color. 

"You'll like it. Just make sure you don't open it until tomorrow morning." 


	19. Punk Looks and Allergies

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** I am not JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter, or anything related. Don't sue. 

**Meow!**

As sunlight flooded the dormitory, Jessica slowly drifted back to reality and away from the dream world she'd been enshrouded in all night. 

Voices from the common room below poked and prodded at her subconscious until finally with a rested yawn she opened her eyes. 

The dormitory was completely empty, except for one person who didn't belong there, one person who was sitting on her bed. 

"Merry Christmas!" The sing song voice of Luke called, interrupting her thoughts. 

"How long have you been here?" She asked, smoothing down the hair she assumed was similar looking to a garden of weeds. 

"Long enough to feel sorry for the other girls in your dorm," He paused, a mischievous grin crossing his face. "You snore." 

Sitting up, Jessica grabbed the pillow she'd been laying on and threw it directly at Luke's head. He caught it and made a face. "You drool too." 

Jessica laughed, looking up at her friend, wearing faded jeans and a knitted red sweater. His swirls of chocolate brown eyes were hiding behind his mess of dark brown hair that looked as if he hadn't brushed it yet. He dropped the color changing gift bag onto her bed, beside the pillow, now a glistening shade of gold. 

She threw back the white linen blankets and swung her legs down over the bed, standing and about to lean over to grab his present from the night table beside her before blushing furiously and turning around. 

Because of the lack of people in her dorm, she'd only thrown on a T-shirt as a nightgown the previous night. It fell just below her hips, and as she turned to Luke she could see that his face was a bit red as well. 

"Sorry," He muttered, looking down. "I should have waited until you were awake and dressed." 

It was that moment of inconvenience that the door decided to swing open and Alex step through. 

Jessica looked up, quite surprised to see him in her dorm. They hadn't talked since meeting on the train, and it seemed he'd done just about everything he could to avoid seeing her. 

He seemed oddly troubled and looked tired. With a gulp, looking between the half dressed Jessica and furiously blushing Luke, he quickly closed the door and they could hear his footsteps descending down the stairs. Despite his robed presence no longer being in the room, his blue eyes lingered in Jessica's mind a little while longer, as they had over the past few months. 

"Well, that was awkward," Jessica managed to stutter, finding a pair of shorts on the floor and pulling them on while Luke pretended to be busy looking out the window. 

When they both looked at each other again all they could do was laugh, now that the situation had passed it seemed quite funny. 

"It's usually more appropriate to dress before going to bed," Luke commented, raising an eyebrow at her. 

She rolled her eyes and sat on the bed, one leg folded under her. "I was dressed. I just hadn't realized I'd be having a male visitor this morning." She said, gesturing towards him. 

"Well, I wasn't the only male in your room this morning. What was Alex doing here?" 

Jessica was obviously stumped at this question. "You know, I have no idea. He's been avoiding me for the past few months. So, why come up to my dorm on Christmas morning?" 

Piercing her eyes with his own he swallowed hard, "Maybe you two had something planned." 

For the second time that morning, Jessica threw her pillow at him, this time hitting him directly in the face. "As if, Luke." 

He shrugged, picking up the pillow and making a face again. "I wasn't joking last time, you do drool." 

With an exasperated sigh, Jessica snatched the pillow away, which was actually slightly moist, and grabbed the present from her wooden bedside table, knocking over her hand mirror and letting it shatter cross the blue carpet. 

Watching Garfield scurry across the paper after a mouse and flying off a counter top, Jessica realized she was nervous about giving him the present. Since being disowned by her mother, her emotions had been kept fairly bottled up, but now she was plainly nervous. Her palms were sweaty and her face flushed. What if he didn't like it? What if he got angry at her? 

Closing her eyes, she thrust the present at him, taking him by surprise and hitting him squarely in the stomach. 

"Sorry," She muttered, as she held her hands up to her face, opening her eyes and peering through her fingers. 

Luke gave her and odd look and tore through the paper, leaving Odie's tail wagging on one half of the paper while his head searched for it on the other. 

Inside was a metal blue box, after casting her a curious look he opened it. Nothing was inside. 

He looked up at her and was shocked to see her doubled over and turning purple. 

"Jess? Are you okay?" 

As she opened her mouth to reply, laughter filed out, filling the room and causing those downstairs to look up and wonder what was going on. Between lapses of sanity where she'd laugh for a minute at a time, she managed to reach down to the floor and grab a fragment of the shattered mirror. 

She handed it to him and managed to say "Look.. in.. mirror.." before doubling over again. 

Luke looked in the mirror, and then back at her. "There's something wrong with your mirror, besides being broken. Someone has bewitched it." 

Jessica shook her head and Luke looked back into the mirror. The reflection of a blue haired boy with an eyebrow ring stared back at him. 

"What have you done to me?" He stood and flew into the adjoining bathroom. Staring into the full mirror stood Luke, in his jeans and sweater, but now with blue hair, gelled up into three spikes on the middle of his head, black lined eyes, pierced eyebrow, nose, lips, and ears. 

Jessica's laughter began to die down as she looked at Luke with worry on her face. "You said you wanted a new look. It'll wear off in a few hours." 

Luke stared at her from the bathroom door, then leaned over the porcelain sink again and looked back into the mirror. 

"Interesting look, dear," The mirror commented warily. 

Jessica walked in behind him, a forced smile on her face. "Are you okay?" 

His own face broke into a grin, which looked quite menacing underneath the large blue spikes, and he began to laugh. "You did get me what I asked for." 

Jessica's false smile developed into a real one and she ran back to her bed, grabbing the gift bag and looking eagerly at it. "Okay, my turn." 

He stepped away from the mirror and leaned against the door frame, watching as she opened the gift. 

She pulled open the bag and reached down into it. 

"Ouch!" She shouted, pulling her hand back up, now attached to the mouth of a tiny kitten. 

"A cat?" She exclaimed. She didn't have time to tell Luke she was allergic, because before she knew it she was sneezing and breaking out into hives. 

"Oh Luke, it was a nice thought.." 

Luke grabbed the kitten quickly, moodily muttering, "And I wasted all this time taking care of the thing and charming it so it wouldn't move.." But as he looked up at Jessica, sympathy washed over him and he offered to take her to the nurse. 

"No.. Achoo.. You'll need to take care.. Achoo.. of the cat.. I'll go.. Achoo.. myself." 

She rushed out of the room, her hands in front of her face to hide the red hives breaking out all over it. 

Luke looked down at the gray kitten, now sitting on her bed and staring up at him, or rather the spikes on top of his head. 

"Oh well, bud. Looks like it's back to the pet store for you." 


	20. Sorrowful

**Too Late**

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**Disclaimer-** I'm not a wizard, and cannot do transfiguration. Therefore, under no circumstances, should you mistake me for JK Rowling. True, she owns the idea of Hogwarts, and its teachers, which are all mentioned in her books, and I'm shamelessly borrowing them, but despite that I do not claim to be her nor claim to have come up with her ideas. 

**Departing**

After the holidays passed, Luke and Jessica were never quite as good of friends as they had been before. It might have been because of the punishment he'd recieved for poking Snape in the eye with one of his large blue spikes on Christmas, or the fact that he'd kept the kitten which Jessica did everything to keep away from, but for whatever reason they were no longer close. 

Jessica had been growing more and more depressed, with such a lack of friends, and a complete lack of anyone close to her. She was becoming isolated. Dinner hours were spent alone in the library, thinking of her family and learning to hate her mother with even more of a vengeance. 

Her sister's eleventh birthday, March 3rd, passed without event. She'd thought of sending a present, but knew her mother would more than likely dispose of it before Chelsea recieved it. It was a week after her birthday that Dumbledore arrived in the Ravenclaw common room just before dark, with a grim face and asking for Jessica. 

She'd followed him out of the portrait hole, the young prince on it having tea with a small girl, and to his office. She hadn't time to admire her surroundings and the trinkets on his desk when he made a small noise in his throat and looked at Jessica with tears in his eyes. 

"I'm deeply sorrowful at the news I've recieved. Jessica," He motioned for her to sit in a hard plastic chair across from his desk, and set his hand on her shoulder, "Your sister has died." 

Everything went black. 

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She awoke in the hospital wing, with Madame Pomfrey looking down at her with a sympathy washed face. 

"What happened?" She spoke in a hushed voice, her hands rising to her eyes which were damp with tears. 

Madame Pomfrey stood and straightened her apron, blowing her nose on a pink hankie. "Upon hearing the dreadful news, you fainted." 

Jessica looked at her with a bewildered expression, clutching the light blue blanket on top of her tightly. "What news?" 

"About your sister, dear." At this Madame Pomfrey blew her nose again and walked away, as if unable to bear the sadness, her black heels clicking on the tile floor. 

That's when reality flooded her senses, and Dumbledore's voice filled her mind, "Your sister has died." 

"NO!" She screamed, bringing her hands towards her head, pulling at her hair and screaming her sisters name. "Chelsea.. no.." 

Dumbledore watched from the door. He bent his head and turned, his black robes swishing in the air that had seemed to cool so rapidly. 

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When she arrived back at the common room the next day it was empty. 

Everyone else was at their classes, or so she thought. 

After settling herself on an arm chair facing the window she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming from the boys' wing. 

"Jessica?" An unfamiliar voice called. 

She turned to see Alex, standing by the portrait hole, his dark hair slightly dishelved and blue eyes filled with worry. 

"I couldn't tell you.." He began, but upon closer inspection of the girl, he stopped. 

The sorrow he'd expected to see in Jessica's eyes, however, was not there. Instead he saw something hateful, a yearning for revenge. 

"I don't need your sympathy, Alex. Leave me alone." 

He meant to argue with her, but her harsh words and expression, the set thin line of her mouth, chilled him as he realized the pleasant girl he'd met on the train and had been avoiding all this time was gone. 

A corpse had replaced her. A living and breathing corpse. 


	21. Justified

**Too Late**

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**A/N- **This is the last chapter. ^_^ Enjoy. 

**Disclaimer-** Once again, I'm not JK Rowling. Hogwarts, or the idea of it, is hers. 

**Apologies - Too Late**

Once Dumbledore had thought her ready, he told her the circumstances of her sister's death. 

It had been an accident. She had been swimming in the deep end of the community pool and drowned. No one had realized she'd been missing until too late. 

Jessica nodded, and pretended to believe the explanation, but she knew it was completely false. Her sister's death had not been an accident. It had been a murder. 

Chelsea had received a Hogwarts letter, much like Jessica but only at the correct time. 

Her mother couldn't bear to have two witches in her house, two freaks. She killed her. She killed her youngest daughter. 

There was no evidence of any such thing happening, but Jessica knew it was all true. 

Now, as the end of term came near, all Jessica thought of was revenge. 

She was due to meet a family once she left Hogwarts and returned to her home country. 

The letter her father had written her had told her that the family consisted of a young couple and son. They'd always wanted a daughter, but their wish had never been granted, and never would. 

"What about you, Daddy?" She thought bitterly. "Don't you want a daughter anymore?" 

Upon arriving home she would pick up her things and her father would drive her to the young couple's house. With any luck, for her own parents, the couple would look past her odd behavior and wish to make her their daughter. 

Jessica knew she'd never meet the couple, the ministry would be likely to catch her before then. 

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By the time O.W.L.s had arrived, even Serenity was no longer Jessica's friend. She could sense her hatred when in her presence and had flew out her dormitory window one day, never to come back. 

Dark circles had developed under her eyes, and she no longer bothered to even brush her hair. 

After barely managing to pass the O.W.L.s she headed home on the Hogwarts Express, her luggage tossed carelessly into an empty compartment, while she spread her legs out on the seat, fiddling with the hole in the knee of her faded jeans and the dangling button on the brown blouse. 

She heard the compartment door open and another's luggage being thrown into the compartment, she could even sense the other's presence, but she only closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, not bothering to share greetings with the fellow passenger. 

When she awoke, she found Alex sitting across from her. He seemed to be examining her. 

"Alex, don't bother. You avoid me for the majority of the year until my sister's death. I don't need your false sympathy," Her voice was cold and mocking, her eyes flashing with anger. 

"I liked you, Jessica. I really did. Too much," He took a long breath of air in and closed his eyes. "But that's not the point." He tugged at the sleeves of the long sleeved gray shirt, "Don't do it." 

She looked out the window and in a distant voice asked, "Do what?" 

"You're going to do something you'll regret. The hate in your eyes won't leave until you've gotten your revenge. 

Your mother disowning you was pure terror, and you'd never forgive her for it. But when she killed your sister for becoming what.." 

She cut him off, turning back to him and staring at him boldly. "How do you know that?" 

"I watched you, Jessica. I was just too scared to approach you. The hurt in your eyes was too much, and the hate that lied there after your sister's death was much too frightening." 

"So you're a coward, then." She sighed. "I don't understand, Alex. Why do you bother?" 

"Professor Trelawney seems to think I have 'the gift.' She finds it absolutely marvelous, I'm not so happy with it. That day on the train when I looked into your eyes, the events I saw that were to happen scared me too no end. I knew I couldn't help you, so I stayed away. 

"Don't do it, Jessica." 

She blinked back the tears, and stared at him coldly. "I have to." 

After a long silent train ride, they parted with a long sorrowful look. Jessica took a taxi to the airport and boarded the plane in a daze. She stared out the window at the blue sky as the plane flew, watching the white clouds and thinking again of what she was about to do. 

She rode a taxi back to her home and got out, the dark, greasy haired and overweight driver setting her odd shaped luggage down on the ground once she arrived. 

Her father stood outside the house, watching her carefully. "Hello, Jess." 

"I need to see Mom," She said quietly, not bothering to pretend to care for him anymore. Her father went to shake his head, but changed his mind and went back inside. 

He didn't return, but instead her mother walked out. 

She'd lost weight and had a harshness about her that hadn't been there before. Jessica could see her fair headed brother inside from the living room window, tears streaming down his cheeks, waving at her. It reminded her of the day she had left, only then her sister had been there as well. She waited for him to leave and took out her wand. 

"Why'd you kill her, Mom? She couldn't help what she was." 

Her mother didn't say anything, only stared at the wand with a look of terror. 

"What if Jake gets a letter too, Mom? Would you kill him too?" 

She didn't give her a chance to answer this time. 

"I won't give you the opportunity." 

Her hand rose almost by itself, and the words flew out of her mouth almost mechanically, "Adava Kedavra!" 

Her wand emitted a strong green light and her mother fell to the ground with one last strangled breath and a harsh scream. 

Only seconds later, the familiar brown owl, Serenity, flew down and landed on her shoulder with two letters in her beak. 

The first was already opened, and as she took it, she realized it was her sister's Hogwart's letter. Tears filled her eyes at the evidence of her act being justified, at least to her, but the second letter provided no comfort. It was cold and opened at her touch. 

Ms. Jessica Nicole, 

We ask that you stay where you are, to make it easier for yourself along with us. Momentarily a Ministry official will come for your arrest. 

Cornelius Fudge 

Jessica sighed and sat on the grass, staring at the owl she had long ago befriended and then at what was left of her family, now standing at the door. 

Tears were lost as they locked eyes, all throwing glances at the huddled body on the ground. 

Her father looked at her somberly, clutching his son by the hand, and at the same time they said "I'm sorry." 


End file.
